Are You a Pinocchio Environmentalist?
It’s election time here in Canada. The two main issues are pitted up against one another: the economy and the environment. Predictably, the media has been portraying the issues as mutually exclusive. On call-in radio shows, a ton of people call in professing their desire to save the planet – even if it costs more. They are also blaming government for all environmental woes. These generalizations are not very truthful – nor are they very helpful. No one can “save the planet”. I’ll also argue that you can’t (easily) change behaviors.
There are inate, natural fundamentals that guide human behavior. It’s really hard to change those constructs. It’s much easier to design systems that naturally adapt to people’s predispositions than try and adapt the human to fit the process. Consider “environmental issues” as just another process. Carbon taxes, caps & trades, laws, fines for littering, etc are all punitive actions. Research has shown that punishment and fear are not effective methods of modifying behavior. The doomsday scenarios aren’t helping to change anything. If anything they are turning people off to finding real solutions. Environmentalists are making “green” uncool.
The few that have embraced green as an opportunity will succeed from it by not selling “green”. Instead they focus on value: lower cost, efficiency, effectiveness, freshness, privacy, peacefulness, low-maintenance, reliability, new and improved, fair trade, ivory-free, etc
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Man, what a weird post. I’m not sure who you’re trying to provoke with that ‘don’t believe everything you read on a blog’ attitude.
I’ll put it to you this way.. if the conservatives get in next week, I’ll be spending next Wednesday very depressed.
However, if some smart community wins us a Green seat. At least a voice of reason will be present to stand up for what more than 10% of us in Canada believe in.
I say screw the economy if it means we have to give away the tar sands without any thought for the environment. Bring on the depression if that’s what it takes to change some human behaviour.
LOL – ok, weird post.
Although the end-goal of environmentalism are valid, the rhetoric isn’t working.
An example – Aussie scientists are trying to persuade Australians to eat kangaroo meat instead of beef because roos produce much less farty methane than cows. I don’t dispute their science, but do you think people will change their behaviors based on this? Don’t think so. Instead, they could build market demand for “the other red meat” by focussing on the quality of the product. Reducing methane is a by-product of that value proposition (so to speak…)
Roo meat: http://www.good.is/?p=12295
I have to admit the idea of eating kangaroo meat is pretty repulsive to me. I mean, how could you? They’re so cute and bouncy.
However, the in-laws love it down under. The switch has already happened for them. Some say the meat is healthier. Who knows?
Now, Emu, that’s quite delish! Better than chicken.
More on why Green Marketing doesn’t work…
http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/green-marketing-work.htm
funny that you used the phase Pinocchio Environmentalist In all honesty were going down a bumpy road. Funny thing is that Canada presents itself as a Green environmentally friendly country. That could not be farther from the truth! Canada has 8 out of 10 of the most polluting businesses in the world here. I believe we only have 1 nuclear power plant from what I remember compared to Europe that has 27. The absolute wost thing thats happening is when voting in favor of the environment that vote is included towards accepting pot as a main stream commodity. So if anyone is concerned about the environment is forced to be an activist . The reason is that Alberta whether anyone knows it or not has payed a ridiculous amount of the nation dept off. Slowing down that economy isn’t an option for me anyways.